Tips for Avoiding Sports Injuries
Although it is not really possible entirely prevent all kinds of injuries, if you take a few precautions you can significantly lower your risk of injury. However, merely lowering the risk of injury is not a job that is always easy to do. By taking some preventive measures you can avoid hurting yourself.
#1. Make sure you are in good shape before you start playing a sport. Whether you are playing baseball, football, basketball, or even tennis among all the available sports, you should be in shape first. Playing sports will certainly get you in better shape, it is best to be in shape before you start.
#2. Be sure you know all the rules and regulations of your sport. Following the rules can help you safeguard against injury. Also, be sure the others you play with follow the rules. It can increase your risk of injury if someone else is breaking the rules.
#3. Always wear the proper safety equipment when playing sports. This is true whether you’re playing a tournament, practice, scrimmage, or just horsing around with some friends. The safety equipment is there for a reason and is very important in preventing accidents and injuries. You are increasing your chance of being hurt if you don’t use the equipment.
#4. Warm up completely before starting to play. If playing a team sport play on a team that does warm ups before the game starts. This will help to slowly warm up and stretch your muscles and greatly lowers your risk of injury. It is a big risk to your safety to skip a warm up,even if it may seem like a good way to make up for being late for a game.
#5. Do not play if you are sick, tired, or hurting. When playing team sports make sure the coach knows about any problems you are having and tell him you will not be able to play. Your body is already in a weakened state when ill, and you are much more likely to be hurt. You are not fully alert when tired and that makes it that much easier to be injured, and lastly if you are in pain you need to heal rather than risk further injury.
#6. Make sure you get enough rest. No matter how fun your sport is your body isn’t designed to go 24/7. Sufficient sleep and regular breaks are necessary so you don’t wear your self out. As vital as training is it is equally important to give your body time to rest and rejuvenate. By getting enough rest you can be sure to have a long and healthy sports career, be it for fun, one on one, or on a team.
If you follow the above tips you can significantly improve your performance and lower the risk of injury at the same time. Play safe and have fun.